The present invention relates to viewing images of bank documents, and is particularly directed to a bank document image viewing apparatus and methods of presenting an image of a bank document in a check truncation environment.
In a check truncation environment, an original check is not transferred between banks during the check clearing process. Instead, the original check is scanned to provide electronic image data which is representative of an image of the original check. The image data which is representative of the image of the original check is transferred from one bank to another bank. The image data which is representative of the image of the original check may be stored in a check image archive.
When a paper version of the original check is needed, it may be printed on demand using the image data which is representative of the original check. This paper version is called an image replacement document (IRD). Subsequently, the IRD may be scanned to provide electronic image data which is representative of an image of the IRD. The image data which is representative of the image of the IRD may be stored in an IRD image archive.
Also, in a check truncation environment, banks are offering new document image retrieval services for bank customers and bank employees. Depending upon content of a retrieved document image and who is viewing the retrieved document image, certain sensitive areas of information appearing on the document image need to be blanked out so that this information cannot be viewed. It would be desirable to provide a system and method in a check truncation environment in which sensitive areas of information appearing on document images, such as check images or images of IRDs, can be selectively blanked out.